Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout said he is looking forward to the fun interactions with contemporaries while playing in his first World Baseball Classic. But the overall objective for him is winning.
Trout when speaking to the media via Zoom on Friday discussed his expectations for the upcoming Classic, where he would captain a Team USA that is looking to retain its title as champion.
Mike Trout speaking via Zoom about World Baseball Classic
“The main reason we’re here is to win this thing,” Trout said. “All the other stuff is great – being able to play with each other and getting to know each other a little bit more. But there’s only one thing on our mind and that’s trying to win this whole thing.”
Mike still deals with regret for not participating in the 2017 World Baseball Classic. Watching from a distance, nothing down everything from the unique atmosphere to the joy and pride players felt representing the United States during an impressive run that ended in a victory over Puerto Rico in the championship game.
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“I’m always having fun on the baseball field,” Trout said. “But when they were out there making them plays and winning, that’s what I regretted. I should have been out there. I wanted to do it and then I didn’t want to do it. I was kind of up in the air about it.
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But I just wanted to be a part of it.”
Trout playing for Team USA has already made a significant impact on what is expected to be a stacked roster. Briefly, after he announced it during All-Star Week last July, the three-time AL MVP award winner said several “big name” players from other teams reached out to him about joining the list.
The list of players chosen for Team USA for the Classic is packed with stars like Mookie Betts, Pete Alonso, Nolan Arenado, Tim Anderson and Paul Goldschmidt, to mention a few.
“A lot of players reached out,” he said. ”It’s going to be something special getting to represent Team USA and go out there with the whole country behind you.
He said he believes the names on the USA roster can defeat any team provided they play their game.
Still, he knows that every team in the tournament has a roaster filled with star players too, including Team Japan, which has his teammate and friend Shohei Ohtani.
With high expectations for both the U.S. and Japanese teams. It is most likely that the two teams will square off at some point next month.
“Talking to Shohei about [Team Japan], he tried to tell me that he doesn’t think he’s the best player on the team,” Trout said. “There’s no way that there’s somebody better than Shohei. But he knows his baseball players.
Kansas Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes came back to Saturday’s 27-20 Divisional Round win against the Jaguars despite sustaining an injury to his right ankle in the first quarter which made him miss out the majority of the second frame.
Mahomes played through the pain, returning to the field after halftime to end the match with 22 completions on 30 attempts for 195 yards and two TDs to secure his Chiefs the victory.
Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes
Head coach Andy Reid when speaking about Mahomes’ performance after the game said; “So, he wanted to be in there. He wanted to be competing. It’s a tribute to him and his competitiveness. However, you got to make sure he’s physically OK where he can protect himself. If he can’t then he can’t play, and we have to go to the next guy. But he’s a tough nut. I tell you, he’s competitive. He’s very, very competitive.”
Patrick’s X-rays came back negative, but Ian Rapoport an NFL Network Insider reported during halftime that his injury looked like a high ankle sprain.
The quarterback’s injury occurred when his ankle got caught and rolled up under Jaguars’ linebacker Arden Key at the tail end of a short, four-yard pass.
Mahomes stayed in the game for the remaining part of the drive, using the break between the first and second quarter to get his ankle wrapped, but went to the locker room for evaluation and did not come back for the Chiefs’ third drive.
“I did want to go and they kind of gave me the ultimatum of I wasn’t going back in unless I went it [to be looked at]”, Mahomes told Melissa Stark from NBC after the game. “They’re trying to take care of me, and we’ve got a lot of great people here. It will take a lot to keep me out of a football game.
He was 12-of-15 passing for 84 yards and a touchdown to tight end Travis Kelce at the time he left the field.
Kansas’ longtime backup Chad Henne took over for Mahomes for one drive that leaned on the run game and eventually went 98 yards for a score.
Mahomes managed to complete 10 of his 15 attempts when he returned in the second half for 111 yards and a leaping six-yard TD throw to Marquez Valdes-Scantling standing on his good foot. But he first operated a quick-pass offense and barely looked comfortable putting down his feet to throw or manage handoffs to running backs from under center.
Due to their quarterback’s injury, the Chiefs received big-time performances from several offensive playmakers and the defense as a whole. Kelce led Kansas City with 14 receptions for 98 yards and a TD catch from every quarterback, while Isiah Pachecho was far and away the team’s leader on the ground with 12 carries for 95 yards (7.
Kansas City’s defense forced two crucial second-half turnovers to help hold leads, they never allowed the game to get knotted up even when the Jaguars made it a one-possession game twice in the fourth quarter.
The Chiefs have reached their fifth straight AFC Championship Game with Mahomes as a starter after he powered through an injury for a 5-0 career record in the Divisional Round.
Patrick Mahomes now waits for a week of recovery to either face the Cincinnati Bengals or Buffalo Bills in the AFC championship, a match he is positive about taking the field for.
“X-rays were negative,” Mahomes said. “They haven’t diagnosed anything yet, but I’ll be good to go.
Hall of Fame football player Shannon Sharpe was in a heated courtside argument with Memphis Grizzlies players Ja Morant and Dillion Brooks, and Morant’s father at the end of the first half of Friday night game between the Memphis Grizzlies and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Sharpe exchanged words with Brooks throughout the first half and then yelled at Morant during the final possession of the second quarter. When the halftime buzzer sounded, Brooks yelled at Sharpe who moved toward Brooks.
Morant was walking toward Sharpe at his courtside seat before Steven Adams stepped in front of him.
Ja Morant’s father, Tee Morant got involved in the conversation too before security separated all of them.
Sharpe, yelled “I bet you won’t!” at Tee Morant when the guards were breaking things up.
Initially, Brooks did not want to comment on their spat, saying: “You can ask him about that. He’s the blogger or whatever he is,” before addressing it later.
Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins and Ja Morant did not want to discuss the altercation after the Lakers secured a 122-121 victory and ended the Grizzlies’ 11-game winning streak.
Sharpe at halftime when speaking to an ESPN reporter said he was reacting to the Grizzlies’ chatter.
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“They do all that talking and jockeying and I ain’t about that jockeying.” He said. “It started with Dillion Brooks. I said he was too small to guard LeBron.”
The former football player said Brooks swore at him, and he swore back. Brooks said that was not the case and that he told Sharpe that James missed the shot.
“He started to come at me and I said, “You don’t want these problems.’ And then Ja came out of nowhere talking. He definitely didn’t want these problems.
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Then the dad came and he obviously didn’t want no problems.
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But I wanted anything they had, Don’t let these fools fool you now.”
Sharpe and Tee Morant talked to security before going back to their seats when the second half started. They hugged it out at the end of the third quarter.
Brooks was asked if Sharpe or any other fans should be allowed to return to their seats after getting into an argument with a player.
”A regular pedestrian like him? No. He should have never come back into the game, but it’s LA,” Brooks said.
The Golden State Warriors VS Brooklyn Nets game is one of the most anticipated matches in the NBA, it’s happening this Sunday, January 22. Both teams want things to turn in their favour, especially after experiencing a challenging period.
With the Warriors playing at home, they’ll like to get back at the Nets for giving them an embarrassing 113-143 defeat on December 21, something that might definitely happen considering the Nets’ recent losses.
For a highly anticipated game, MatchPlug brings you the best NBA Predictions Tonight, as well as a preview and analysis of the game between the Golden State Warriors and the Brooklyn Nets. You can also count on us for the best American Sports content and predictions.
Fans had high hopes for the Golden State Warriors after they returned to the top of the League with their championship victory the past season, but the present season did not go as planned for them. Rather, they fight to maintain their record above .500 while navigating the middle of standings in the Western Conference.
Although their best results haven’t been posted recently, Stephen Curry’s return has had a rapid impact on their performance; they’ve already dealt with other teams like the Boston Celtics, who the Warriors defeated on the road, an aspect they’ve suffered in this season. They play tonight’s game coming fresh off a win against the Cleveland Cavaliers at home in a match where Curry and Klay Thompson were absent.
Golden State will be thrilled to be back playing at the Chase Center after five games away from their home arena, mainly because they won 17 of their 23 victories there this season. They had good performances too on offense and defense at home, with an average of 112.5 points allowed 119.2 points scored per game.
The Brooklyn Nets are facing a complicated situation, despite being one of the hottest teams in the league from late November to early January. It’s no doubt that Kevin Durant’s injury greatly dampened their performance. The Nets now place fourth in the standings in their area and are 6.0 games out of the top spot.
Kevin Durant when in play, averaged 29,7 points and 5.3 assists per game this season, and was the team’s main spark plug alongside Kyrie Irving. No wonder Brooklyn’s offensive numbers went downhill since Durant’s injuries, as they have only passed 102 points in three of five games without him.
Golden State Warriors haven’t given their best performance in a while, but when they play at home, they become a force to be reckoned with, mostly on offense. With Curry’s form, Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, and others’ support, the Warriors shine.
On the other hand, the Brooklyn Nets have given forgettable games and that doesn’t look like it would change when they play against Steph Curry and his crew.
NBA Prediction Tonight says that Brooklyn coming into today’s game from playing the night before will be a great advantage to the Warriors, who will be on one day’s rest and gave Curry and Thompson the night off in their last game. This setup will also dash all hopes they had for winning the matchup.
The Warriors have every aspect of this game favouring them to win this matchup, coupled with how strong their home performance has been this year, they are expected to utilise these opportunities and secure an impressive victory tonight.
NBA Expert Picks for tonight’s Warriors and Nets matchup can be found on 1XBet and BetMGM.
The NFL Postseason 2023 concludes its second weekend on Sunday with an NFC Divisional Round match between the San Francisco 49ers Vs Dallas Cowboys.
After winning the Tampa Bay Buccaneers by 31-14, the Cowboys secured a clean victory in the Wild Card round as the visiting team, while the 49ers defeated the Seahawks 23-41 at home.
Dallas earned a solid victory in the Wild Card round after beating the Buccaneers by a score of 31-14 as the visiting team, while San Francisco beat the Seattle Seahawks 23-41 at home.
Season record: 13-4 (NFC West Champion – 2nd seed NFC)
1XBet Spread: -3.5
1XBet Moneyline: 1.51
1XBet Over/Under: Under 46.5
BetMGM Spread: -4
BetMGM Moneyline: 1.50
BetMGM Over/Under: Under 46.5
The San Francisco 49ers had an easy win over the Seattle Seahawks during the Wild Card round and are still the odds-on favourite in the National Conference to reach the Super Bowl.
In the regular round, the 49ers have 11 consecutive wins thanks to the outstanding solidity in all of its areas, despite the presence of the rookie Brock Purdy as starting quarterback.
Purdy who replaced the injured Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo, has been a superlative performer and has the offense skills of a veteran player. Against the Seahawks, the acting Purdy who replaced the injured Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo, has been a superlative performer and has the offense skills of a veteran player. Against the Seahawks, the acting quarterback threw 332 yards with three touching passes and handled a roster loaded with stellar weapons to perfection.
San Francisco’s runner Christian McCaffrey is one of the best in the circuit. They also have other fantastic options like Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, and George Kittle. All of these names are what give Kyle Shanahan the most dynamic offense in the league.
Additionally, the 49ers during their 11-game winning streak, scored at least 30 points eight times. If the best defense in the league gets this type of support, they won’t be victorious in matches.
The 49ers have led almost every major defensive category in the NFL after finishing with the lowest points allowed (277), lowest total yards conceded (5,110), and the most interceptions gained (20). In addition, they were second in fumbles recovered (30), the lowest total yards on the ground (1,321), and average yards per carry (3.4).
Betting On The Dallas Cowboys
Season record: 12-5 (1st wild card – 4th NFC seed)
1XBet Spread: +3.5
1XBet Moneyline: 2.605
1XBet Over/Under: Over 46.5
BetMGM Spread: +4
BetMGM Moneyline: 2.65
BetMGM Over/Under: Over 46.5
The Dallas Cowboys had a great start to the 2023 NFL postseason by clinching an eight-game winless streak on a road that dated back to the 1993 playoffs.
Dallas completely dominated the Buccaneers all through the game, thanks to Dak Prescott’s wonderful performance. The quarterback has silenced the naysayers concerning his insecurity problems in the postseason.
Prescott ended with 305 yards passing and four touchdowns numbers which won him his duel with Tom Brady, who finished the campaign leading Tampa Bay’s offense with a complex loss.
However, the quarterback wasn’t the offensive sensation for the Cowboys, Tony Pollard and Ezekiel Elliott got the spotlight. The running back duo showed off their skills, bringing in more good news for Mike McCarthy who is gearing up to take on the league’s best defense.
Speaking of defense, Dallas is placed in the top five on the circuit along San Francisco. And, on Monday night they disgraced Brady and the Buccaneers, which wasn’t too hard because Bucs finished as the weakest offenses in the whole NFL.
The 49ers have more weapons in their arsenal, and it remains to be seen if the Cowboys can stop Brock Purdy.
Dallas has enough arguments, as the third unit with the most number of catches (54) and the ninth most efficient in the red zone by allowing only 52% effectiveness of touchdowns to their opponents.
MatchPlug Prediction
After their visit to Tampa Bay, the Cowboys have evoked a great feeling, but it should be noted that the Buccaneers were the only team in the postseason with a negative record and their offense was one of the worst ones in the NFL.
The 49ers are not the same as the Buccaneers and their only weakness, which hasn’t happened yet is an inexperienced Brock Purdy being in the middle of the offense.
One thing Dallas does well is applying pressure on the opposition’s quarterback, which is the same thing they did to Tom Brady on Monday and are hoping to recreate with San Francisco if they are to have a winning chance.
San Francisco’s offensive weapons are unlimited and the touchdowns shouldn’t take too long to come in. The question however is if Dak Prescott and crew can do some damage to a defense that has allowed lower than 20 points nine times in its last nine wins.
The Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals will have their rematch two weeks after Bills’ Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest at their last game. However, this time they’ll be playing in the AFC Divisional Round games for the 2023 NFL playoffs.
Cincinnati pulled through a challenging game against the Raven last Sunday night, where they won 17-24. While Buffalo also went through a gruelling game at their home against the Miami Dolphins to win 31-34
This would be the second time these teams are meeting again after Hamlin’s collapse and there’s no doubt that fans are waiting to see how the game turns out, as the Bills and Bengals have unfinished business from their Week 17 regular season game.
Season record: 14-3 (AFC East Champion – 2nd seed AFC)
1XBet Spread: -5.5
1XBet Moneyline: 1.41
1XBet Over/Under: Under 48.5
BetMGM Spread: -6
BetMGM Moneyline: 1.40
BetMGM Over/Under: Under 49
The Buffalo Bills had some challenges during their Wild Card game against the Miami Dolphins and now they’ll be facing the Bengals in a more challenging matchup.
Head coach, Sean McDermott should be worried that his team still can’t secure the ball, the Dolphins was the second team to score at least 300 points against the Bills this season.
In the regular season the Buffalo Bills were gone third-most turnover-prone offense with 27 turnovers, a trend the carried in their game with Miami, when they lost it three times to the Dolphins. They also recorded four fumbles.
Josh Allen was responsible for three losses, he threw two interception passes for the sixth time this season’s and lost another fumble. Buffalo are ranking 11th in that NFL with 24 fumbles recovered.
The Cincinnati Bengals’ defense started playing well since the second half of the regular season which could be another issue for the Bills to deal with on Sunday. If Allen and his group can’t hold on to the ball, Joe Burrow will lean heavily towards using it to destabilise them.
On the part of their defense, the Bills played well against Miami, even they didn’t do much about the Dolphins’ loose balls. They forfeited 231 total yards and intercepted Skylar Grey twice and on third down, they dropped the Dolphins to a 4-16 mark.
27 fumbles saved, fourth most in the League, Buffalo’s defense ended the season in the Top-10 for throws and top defense for categories for rushing. They also earned second place in the NFL for efficiency in the red zone by allowing TDs on only 45.9% of opponents trips.
Betting On The Cincinnati Bengals
Season record: 13-4 (AFC North Champion – 3rd seed AFC)
1XBet Spread: +5.5
1XBet Moneyline: 2.975
1XBet Over/Under: Over 48.5
BetMGM Spread: +6
BetMGM Moneyline: 3.00
BetMGM Over/Under: Over 49
Cincinnati is one step closer to becoming American Conference Champions again, only this time they’ll find this game tougher than what they found the Wild Card round.
Thanks to St.Hubbard’s defense play, who returned a loose ball 98 yards to the end zone, saving the Bengals from loosing their playoff spot to the Baltimore Ravens who fought fiercely in Lamar Jackson’s absence.
Cincinnati only mustered 234 total yards against an ironclad Ravens defense, which raises some concern for their game against the Bills who have a great defense too.
Joe Burrow who was intercepted four times against the Ravens, will again have low protection due to injuries to key players on the Bengals offensive line. Burrow will need the Bengals ground defense to show up against the Bills.
Burrow has consistently proven himself a worthy quarterback by showing up in crucial moments, and during this campaign he led a team that closed the regular round with 8 successive victories.
The Bengals’ offense was one of the best ones in the league in terms of passes, and ranked fifth best in the red zone with 64.9% efficiency.
Their defense finished top 10 in the league, conceding 18 points or lower in four out of their last six games. On the ground they were the seventh team that conceded the fewest total yards and fourth team that allowed that lowest TDs.
MatchPlug Prediction
This matchup between the Bills and the Bengals are between two of Super Bowl favourites. Over the course of the season, both teams proved that they deserve a spot at the top of the NFL and they have a talented team that can win the league.
Unluckily for these two top teams, one of them has to lose the competition because they can’t keep up with the magnitude of attack this game needs.
Both defenses are among the best in the circuit, but they’ll each face Joe Burrow and Josh Allen, two players who are among the top five quarterbacks in the NFL, who threw 35 touchdowns each during the regular round.
With both teams being somewhat evenly matched, the team that has the lowest slip ups, will have an edge ahead in the game. Burrow will try to evade being caught, Allen will battle constant turnovers.
In this game, home field advantage won’t be much of a deciding factor, not minding the fact that Bills played for 7-1 at home. Cincinnati too performed exceptionally well at home with a 6-3 record. One important thing to note for this game is in the past 10 games these teams played, the Over had a 7-3 record.
The Philadelphia Eagles Vs New York Giants playing against each other in the NFC Divisional Round games will reopen a rivalry in the NFC East, as they battle for a spot in the NFL playoffs’ second round in 2023.
Last weekend, the New York Giants pulled off an upset in the Wild Card round after beating the Minnesota Vikings 31-24 on the road, while Philadelphia Eagles replenished themselves after ending the regular round with the best record in the NFC.
New York and Philadelphia met a few times during the regular round, with the Eagles winning both games.
Without wasting any more time, MatchPlug presents a preview and NFL Predictions for the Eagles VS Giants’ Divisional Round match.
Season record: 14-3 (NFC East Champion – 1st seed NFC)
1XBet Spread: -7.5
1XBet Moneyline: 1.26
1XBet Over/Under: Under 47.5
BetMGM Spread: -7.5
BetMGM Moneyline: 1.26
BetMGM Over/Under: Under 48.5
During the last week of the NFL regular round, the Philadelphia Eagles marked one of their best seasons by winning the NFC East title and the title of the best team in the National Conference.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts returned to play for his team, after missing two games that the Eagles lost, and to revive Philadelphia’s offense.
Hurts who runs for 700 yards, scores 13 times, throws over 3,700 yards and 33 touchdowns, was certainly missed on the Eagles’ frontlines. The Giants will find him a problem, mainly because their ground defense is ridden with many issues.
The Eagles’ offense is feared because all their lines are balanced, which was what earned them second place with the second most points scored. In passes, their net yards gained per pass were the third-best average with 7.1. No team scored more times on the ground than them with 31, they registered 90 penalties and were fourth in efficiency inside the red zone with 67.
Furthermore, Philadelphia’s defense is as strong as its offense, and their opponents have gained over 350 total yards against them on only three occasions, and a single game of over 400. They were also the team that allowed the lowest total passing yards in the season and they had the most sacks with 70.
Philadelphia’s weak point however is that they finished a little above league average by stopping the ground attack, which is the Giants’ attacking weapon, that New York couldn’t capitalize on in the regular round.
After defeating the Minnesota Vikings in their first postseason game since the Super Bowl XLVI win over the Patriots, the New York Giants will find it difficult to start a winning streak when they play the Eagles.
They looked good in Minnesota, but today they’ll need to play better than they did last week if they want to win against the same opponents that dealt with them the two times they met this year.
New York could defeat the Vikings because of Daniel Jones’ impressive work. Under the guidance of head coach Brian Daboll, Jones is having the best campaign he has ever had in his career.
The quarterback threw for 301 yards, two touchdown passes, no interceptions, and 78 rushing yards, while Minnesota had one of the worst defenses in the season. Jones spearheaded the attack on the Vikings, for New York which only scored 30 points all year.
Complementing Jones’ offense was Saquon Barkley’s two touchdown runs and a defense that stopped one of the NFL’s best offense. The New York Giants will need to bring this energy or higher when they go toe-to-toe with Jalen Hurts and his Crew.
On the defense side, New York had one of the worst defenses in the NFL, in terms of stopping the ground game, and the Philadelphia Eagles know this weak spot. In the late two regular season games they played with the Giants, they gained 335 total yards, and seven touchdowns, five of which came on carries using this strategy.
New York’s defense is a secret the Eagles used throughout the season and if they do want to advance, even Jones and his offense can’t stop them if they don’t get their defense players in line.
MatchPlug Prediction
NFL Predictions this week say that the New York Giants are adept in postseason surprises and won six of their last seven away games in the playoffs for a good reason.
The thing now, however, is that New York couldn’t answer all the defeats they faced from the Eagles during the regular season round. The Giants were outmatched in every area, even in the Eagles’ weak areas, who came to the game rested for the week and with a 7-2 record.
After the prowess Daniel Jones showed against the Vikings, there is a chance that he’ll have another good game. But it remains to be seen if it’ll be enough to give the Giants’ defense a good advantage.
Everything comes down to Jalen Hurts who is the powerhouse of the Eagles.
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If Hurts plays well in today’s game as he has been doing for most of the season, he could hurt the New York Giants’ defense.
There is a reason why Philadelphia scored fewer than 20 points only once under his watch.
The 2023 NFL Playoffs resume this weekend with the AFC Divisional Round and an intriguing match between the Kansas City Chiefs and Jacksonville Jaguars opens the tournament.
Jacksonville won its Wild Card clash over the LA Chargers, while Kansas scaled through after they were seeded first in the American Conference. It should be noted that these teams met in Week 10 of this season, with the Chiefs winning 17-27.
To keep the excitement going, MatchPlug brings you a preview of the Chiefs and Jaguars’ game and some of the best NFL Predictions Today surrounding this matchup.
Regular Season Record: 14-3 (AFC West Champion – AFC 1st seed )
1XBet Spread: -9.5
1XBet Moneyline: 1.21
1XBet Over/Under: Under 52.5
BetMGM Spread: -9.5
BetMGM Moneyline: 1.20
BetMGM Over/Under: Under 53
The Cincinnati Bengals and Buffalo Bills game being postponed gave the Kansas City Chiefs the opening they needed to win and begin the NFL postseason 2023 campaign rested; playing in their home field.
By securing the top record in the American Conference, the Chiefs could watch the AFC Wild Card games from home, including the matchup featuring the Jaguars who are struggling.
This season, the Chiefs already won Jacksonville, thanks to Patrick Mahomes who recorded one out of his three games with 4 touchdown passes on the season and completed 74.29% of his passes, which is his third-best percentage of the year.
Given Mahomes’ performance, the quarterback will again be the centre of attention for the Chiefs, a squad with the best offense in the NFL, which would be facing a defense that struggled a lot in defending against the pass.
In addition to leading the NFL in points scored (496), Kansas City was also the only team that surpassed 7,000 total yards (7,032) and no offense had better figures than them in average yards per play (6.4), first downs gained (408), passing yards (5,062) and passing TDs (41).
When it came to halting the ground attack, Andy Reid’s team were impressive. But, they’d need to be at the top of their game when playing Trevor Lawrence who would come to play with the confidence he took to his outstanding second half against the Chargers.
Lawrence knows that the Chiefs were the team with the most conceded touchdown passes on the year (33).
Betting On The Jacksonville Jaguars
Regular Season Record: 10-8 (AFC South Champion – 4th AFC seed)
1XBet Spread: +9.5
1XBet Moneyline: 4.42
1XBet Over/Under: Over 52.5
BetMGM Spread: +9.5
BetMGM Moneyline: 4.75
BetMGM Over/Under: Over 53
Jacksonville Jaguars is still upholding their outstanding season, especially after defeating the Chargers 27-0, pulling off the third-largest comeback in postseason history.
The Jaguars overcame the four interceptions thrown by Trevor Lawrence in the first half of the game and today they’d be facing the Chiefs who are one of the favourites to win the Super Bowl and their biggest challenge of the year.
Doug Pederson’s leadership and skills showed in Jacksonville’s win, as he kept his men calm after five turnovers and led them as the first to win a postseason game with a -5 margin in turnovers.
After halftime, Lawrence and Jacksonville turned into something else, giving up only three points to the Chargers offense who had become distracted by mistakes the Jaguars made in the first half. While Lawrence gained 273 passing yards, Justin Herbert was intercepted three times and reached the end zone only once.
Trevor Lawrence was awakened after pulling off a strong defensive performance. He put down four touchdown passes and got an all-important two-point conversion to give the Jaguars the lead with a field goal as the game time expired.
For today’s game, the Jaguars are expected to be more ferocious towards the Chiefs than they were toward the Chargers. Kansas City might have the best offense in the league, but they’d test a Jaguars secondary that battled against Herbert and was the least efficient team in the NFL in defending the pass.
Note that the Jaguars’ quarterback threw for 331 yards, four touchdown passes, and one interception against Mahomes and the Chiefs this season.
MatchPlug Prediction
Anything can happen during the postseason and after what they did to the Chargers last weekend, Jacksonville Jaguars proved this point.
But it is also apparent that a team can’t make the same mistake twice, especially if they are playing against the Chiefs who had the best record in the conference and a 7-1 mark at home after losing to the Buffalo Bills.
Lawrence can throw off Kansas City’s secondary, but can he go head-to-head with Mahomes? Patrick Mahomes is said to be the best in the league and has already humiliated Jacksonville’s defense this year.
NFL Predictions say that there is no factor that indicates that today’s game will turn out differently, so the Jaguars must be proactive and score enough touchdowns to trouble Mahomes, who threw 12 interceptions despite being the lead as an MVP candidate.
The NBA’s matchday will kick off with the Toronto Raptors VS Boston Celtics game. With these two teams playing during the weekend and in good form too, the match is already looking entertaining.
Last year in December, the Celtics beat the Raptors by a 116-110 score in the first matchup of the season between the two teams on the court. But, with the Raptors experiencing so much growth since that time, things might be different now.
For a trusted preview of the Celtics and Raptors game, you can count on MatchPlug to put your own. We offer the best NBA Predictions Tonight for prominent games in this league, as well as in other Americans Sports too.
Predictions and Betting Preview for Toronto Raptors VS Boston Celtics NBA Regular Season Game
The Toronto Raptors have not had an easy season, but in the past weeks, they’ve started playing like the team they were predicted to be, increasing the effectiveness of their offense. They won five of their last seven games. The Raptors still have some improvement to do since, in spite of their effort, they remain 0.5 games outside the playoff spots and have a losing record.
Toronto needs to be confident to take on this uphill task, after a successful three-game road trip, since they have an okay 14-11 home record despite having an erratic season. They have held opponents to an average of 111.0 points at home, but they’ll score more than that to defeat a team they’ve only won once in their last five games at Scotiabank Arena.
Betting On The Boston Celtics
1XBet Spread: -1.5
1XBet Moneyline: 1.995
1XBet Over/Under: Over 225.5
BetMGM Spread: -1.5
BetMGM Moneyline: 1.83
BetMGM Over/Under: Over 225.5
Boston Celtics have maintained their good record throughout this season, solidifying their position at the top of the Eastern Conference and having the best record in the NBA, in spite of their occasional fluctuations.
They’ve only lost five of their 22 games at TD Garden, so their outstanding performance has unarguably been matched by a strong home record.
But, this does not mean that they are weak on the road: they are actually the best away team in the league with an excellent record of 16 wins and 7 losses. The Celtics led by Joe Mazzulla have shown a strong offensive rhythm during away matches, scoring 115.7 points on the average per game allowing only 112.2.
MatchPlug Prediction
Boston has had an impressive season offense-wise, but now they must play at their full capacity to defeat a home team that has been strong defensively at home and that caused them a lot of pain in their last game.
Toronto too are in the midst of a powerful offensive run, with players like Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam scoring plenty night in and night out; due to this, they should be able to give the Celtics who are good at improving their defense when needed, some problems.
Although this looks like a huge challenge for the Raptors to defeat the NBA’s top team tonight, hopefully, they can once again draw strength from their home team, and put on a good show, and fight till the end.
Ottawa Senators And Pittsburgh Penguins Predictions
These are some NHL predictions for today’s matchup between the Senators and Penguins.
The Senators’ Defense Is A Let-Down
Season Record: 19-21-3
1XBet Spread: +1.5
1XBet Moneyline: 2.625
1XBet Over/Under: Under 6.5
BetMGM Spread: +1.5
BetMGM Moneyline: 2.05
BetMGM Over/Under: Under 6.5
The Ottawa Senators are having a rough season with their offense falling, scoring only 2.91 goals per game with just one goal in the last two games. Brad Tkachuk and Tim Stützle share 34 goals and 48 assists to lead the top two lines, but the other members of offense have struggled.
Ottawa hopes that Shane Pinto and Derrick Brassard can step up, especially as they play a vital role in the team’s offense but scored only 16 goals and 12 assists this season.
While the Senator’s offense has struggled, their defense is a source of disappointment to the team. Thomas Chabot and Jake Sanderson combine for 4.3 defensive point shares, but the other defense members allowed opponents to score open shots on the net.
In addition, goaltender Anton Forsberg battled with a .902 percentage and a 3.25 goals-against average on 635 shots.
Penguins Hope To Improve Their Defense
Season Record: 19-21-3
1XBet Spread: -1.5
1XBet Moneyline: 2.375
1XBet Over/Under: Over 6.5
BetMGM Spread: -1.5
BetMGM Moneyline: 1.80
BetMGM Over/Under: Over 6.5
The Pittsburgh Penguins are having a hopeful season with their offense now scoring 3.21 goals per game. Sidney Crosby, Jake Guentzel, and Evgeni Malkin scored 54 goals and 75 assists to lead the top two lines, however, the rest of the Penguins’ offense has also improved.
Rickard Rakell, Jason Zucker, and Bryan Rust have a combined 36 goals and 48 assists, Jeff Carter, Kasperi Kapanen, and Brock McGinn contributed 23 goals and 28 assists to the back of the forward unit, making Pittsburgh’s offense hard to beat.
The Penguins’ offense has been great so far, but their defense is drowning, allowing 3.02 goals per game. Marcus Pettersson and Jan Rutta combined for 3.9 defensive point shares and 140 blocked shots, but the other arm of the defensive unit struggles, allowing opponents to score open shots on the net at will.
Additionally, goaltender Casey DeSmith is struggling with a .906 save percentage and a 3.10 goals-against average on 554 shots.
MatchPlug Prediction
Ottawa VS Pittsburgh will be an exciting game between two sides of the NHL looking to improve in the Eastern Conference. The Senators want to win on their home ice but the Penguins want to find favourable games on both sides of the ice.
Pittsburgh will build off a four-goal game and find the back of the net at will against Ottawa’s defense that allows 3.23 goals per game. Sidney Crosby, Jake Guentzel and the other members of the forward unit will carry the puck into the offensive zone and create open shots with efficient puck movement near the net.
The Penguins will also limit the Senators’ offense which has scored just one goal in the last two games. Marcus Pettersson, Jan Rutta, and the remaining defensive unit will create turnovers in the defensive zone and limit shots on the net to allow Casey DeSmith to make many big saves.
NHL Expert Picks predict that Pittsburgh should win the match with a dominant win on the road.
